Process of making polishing compositions and the product thereof.



JOHN P. CARMICHAEL, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PROCESS OF MAKING POLISHING COMPOSITIONS AND THE PRODUCT THEREOF.

No Drawing.

erence to that class of polishing powders which are used for glossingteeth, polishing finger nails, manicuring, etc., although my improvedpowder is adapted to be also v used for cleaning and polishing articlesof metal, etc.

My process is as follows: I first take a quantity of nitrate of one ofthe earth group metals, either with or without a quantity of magnesiumnitrate, and dissolve the same in distilled water to produce a solutionwhich is preferably about twenty-' five per cent. saturated. I thensaturate pure cotton knitting in the solution so prepared, after which Iwring out or squeeze out the surplus liquid to a dryness of about onepart by weight of liquid to about one part by weight of fiber. I-thendry the fiber and burn it, raising the temperature, preferably in akiln, to a point where all stickiness will disappear. The temperaturerequired for this purpose will be approximately 2300 F. to secure thebest results. The resulting ash constitutes a high grade polishingpowder, adapted to be used in dry form and which imparts a brilliantluster to the surfaces to which it is applied. The powder is especiallyadapted for use in polishing teeth, finger nails, etc., although it maybe used to advantage in any case where polishing powder is required. Indescribing my process as involving the use of cotton fiber, I donot'intend to exclude any equivalent for such fiber.

It will be observed that the composition which results from my processconsists of oxids of the above named metals and ash of vegetable fiber..The fiber is employed principally to facilitate the rocessby promotingthorough subdivision and preventing the other ingredients from settlinginto a pasty mass when heated. But the ash residue of the fiber alsoadds to the softness of the product.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application-filed July 17, 1912. Serial No. 710,004.

Among the earths which are adapted for my purposes are magnesium nitrateand aluminium nitrate. In carrying out my process, I preferably dissolveone pound of magnesium nitrate and one pound of aluminium nitrate in onegallon of distilled water. To this may be added about fifty grams of asolution of cerium nitrate, the resulting powder being given a fluffyappearance and a champagne color by the addition of the cerium nitrate.If desired, any of the other rare earth nitrates may be added orsubstituted as equivalents for the ingredients above mentioned. Forexample, beryllium nitrate and lanthanum nitrate may be used, preferablyin connection with thorium and cerium nitrate. In any case, theresulting composition constitutes a substantially impalpable polishingpowder which possesses suflicient resistance, when used in dry form, torender it peculiarly effective for smoothing and polishing very hardsurfaces, and which imparts a brilliant luster to the surface to whichit is applied. It will not scratch even the most delicate surfaces. Itis effective as a polish for either natural or artificial teeth and forfinger nails, the dry powder being merely rubbed over the surfaces orapplied by friction of a dry cloth upon which the powder haspreviouslybeen distributed.

.In order to utilize my improved powder practically, I mix it with a,suitable binder, whereby it may be made into cakes or caused to adhereto the surface of a bufling cloth. Sugar may be employed as a binder andwill be found quite efficient.

The addition of rare earth nitrates to the described solution not onlyimproves the appearance of the powder by changing it from a dull yellowcolor to the champagne color produced 'by the cerium, or a pure white,secured by the use of thorium, but the quality of the resulting powderis also greatly improved in that it constitutes a softer and more finelydivided polishing powder.

I believe that I am the first to provide means forcalcining a nitrate ofthe earth groupin such a manner as to produce an impalpable powder,possessing that peculiar quality of resistance, whereby it may be .useddry for polishing extremely hard substances and from which grit iswholly absent and no crushing, grinding or grading is required toproduce the resulting powder in a form adapted for commercial use. Sofar as I am aware, the polishing powders heretofore produced, containedgrit and are adapted to be used not only dry but in con- I nection withwater or other liquids for polishing purposes, Whereas my improvedpolishing owder is so impalpable that it is only a apted to be used indry form. If

mixed with any liquid or applied in Wet form, it slips over the surfaceto which it is applied without exerting any polishing efiect, this beingdue to the fact that it is so finely subdivided or impalpable as to bewater; 2nd. in saturating a suitable fiber with such solution 3rd.drying the saturated fiber and 4th. reducing the resulting compositionto ashes by calcination.

2. The process of making polishing powder, consisting 1st. in preparinga solution of magnesium nitrate, and a nitrate of the earth group metalsin water; 2nd. ,in

saturating a suitable fiber with such solution; 3rd. expellingsuflicient liquid to leave the composition in approximately equal parts,by weight, of liquid and of fiber,

, 4th. drying the saturated fiber, and 5th. re-

ducing the resulting composition to ashes maaaer by combustion andsuperheating the ashes to expel stickiness and reduce the product to adry powder.

3. The herein described composition of matter, consisting of a finelycomminuted earth group metal, the particles of which have beenseparately oxidized by calcination to produce a substantially impalpablepowder of such fineness as to be adapted for use only in dry form.

4. The herein described composition of matter, consisting of an oxid ofone of the rare earth group metals; combined with oxid of magnesium inthe form of a substantially impalpable powder from which grit is absentand which is adapted to be used only in dry form.

5. The herein described composition of matter, consisting in thecombination by calcination of rare and common earth group metals, in theform of a substantially impalpable non-gritty powder which possesses ahigh resistance adapted for polishing the enamel of teeth and other hardsubstance when applied in dry form.

6. The herein described composition of matter consisting in thecombination by calcination of rare and common earth group metals andvegetable fiber, in the form of a substantially impalpable non-grittypowder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN P. CARMICHAEL.

Witness es:

LEVERETT C. WHEELER,

I. BREMER.

